


Approaching Coerthas

by diaphanous87



Series: Maldeylot Baihoude [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Coerthas (Final Fantasy XIV), Elezen Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Gen, Ishgard (Final Fantasy XIV), Named Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), No beta we die like mne, Not Shippy, Post Waking Sands Tragedy, an introduction to my elezen WoL, have some Maldeylot lore, mid-ARR, the calm before the storm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:28:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24878488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diaphanous87/pseuds/diaphanous87
Summary: Maldeylot Baihoude has a secret, one that could get them all killed if it was found out by the Ishgardians stationed in the Coerthas Central Highlands. Inquistors. Knights. Even the commanders of the forts. It was best to warn his companions now before leaving the Shroud.
Relationships: Alphinaud Leveilleur & Warrior of Light, Cid nan Garlond & Warrior of Light
Series: Maldeylot Baihoude [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1800169
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	Approaching Coerthas

**Author's Note:**

> Maldeylot Baihoude is my fourth WoL and this is just a jumping point into his story.

**Approaching Coerthas **

** **

* * *

How had it come to this? Staring at the border between the Shroud and Coerthas... again? Mal rubbed his facial hair along his jawline nervously. He had changed much in the past two years since he had fled. But though his hair had naturally darkened and he had grown a beard, Mal felt such overwhelming unease.

The Baihoud name was mud in the lands of the north, his birthplace.

_“They’re coming for me, nephew. For all of us. Take my blade and flee. For you are innocent, you know nothing of what we have done. What we believe. That was done on purpose to spare you. Yet there will be no mercy from them. Especially for a bastard-born. So I would see you live. GO!”_

Maldeylot exhaled shakily. His long ears twitched at the sound of approaching footsteps. He looked down and to the left. A familiar, small elezen stopped next to him, the white of his hair bright against the gloom of Fallgourd in the evening. “Alphinaud,” he acknowledged solemnly. “Dinner finished already, lad?”

“Aye... though you left quite quickly without finishing yours.” The other elezen looked so young and lost for a brief moment before the confident haughtiness returned. “Surely you will need your strength in the coming search for the Enterprise.”

Mal went back to staring at the road that they would be taking in the morning. “Doubting my strength already?” he asked aloud, more amused than offended. He had let this boy take the lead because he had felt purposeless after... after... well. Best not to dwell on that now. It would only freeze him up before the snows could. But his late mother would be roaring with laughter if she had known her gentle giant of a son was allowing himself to be led around by a slip of an elezen youth. “My shield will not falter, I promise that.”

“I did not mean to imply—“

“Ah, but you did imply.” Mal turned to him again, a small smile on his lips. “Worry not. Though my years wielding it are few, I am stalwart enough. But let us work together to keep one another in one piece, hm? You are a healer of some sort, aye?”

“Y-yes! Leave the healing to me!” Alphinaud puffed up his thin chest in pride. How cute.

“Very good. Now then, please find Cid and meet me at our inn room. I... have something to tell you about the lands we are about to enter.” Mal took the lead now. He had something to say, a warning, but away from possible eavesdroppers. “This is very, very serious. Deadly serious. Do you understand?” He straightened up to his full height with shoulders squared in order to convey how serious he was being about the upcoming conversation.

Alphinaud’s blue eyes widened a smidge before he nodded. So he had noticed Mal’s unhappy tone. Not as oblivious as he thought though still a green lad. Mal can work with that. “Of course. We shall meet you at the room.” Alphinaud fairly flew away in his haste to fetch Cid.

Maldeylot sighed, broad shoulders slumping. He really disliked being intimidating, using his height like so. But with a boy like Alphinaud, he had to use some body language to take the reins of an interaction with him. He turned his back to the northern road leading out of the Fallgourd. Yet he glanced back over his shoulder for a brief moment. His pale green eyes darkened, a severe frown on his face. Mal grit his teeth and walked toward the inn.

The coming conversation was not going to be fun...

* * *

“Privacy wards? I didn’t know you were a mage,” Alphinaud said, eyes on the fading sigils as they sunk into the wood of the doorframe.

“... a servant always assures their master’s privacy,” Mal said as if reciting from a manual. He stared at the closed door for a long moment.

“Lad, are you all right?” Cid asked from where he was sitting on the bed next to Alphinaud.

“What I’m about to tell you does not leave this room,” Maldeylot said, turning to face them. His normally affable face was grim, eyebrows furrowed and lips pressed together tight. “Do you understand? Not a single word must be breathed. You must swear to me to which ever god of your choosing that you will not speak of it.”

“Mal...?”

“SWEAR IT!” Mal gripped the handle of his sword at his hip. In threat? In comfort? He didn’t know. His pale green eyes flashed.

“I... I swear to Thaliak that I shalt not speak of this conversation!” Alphinaud squeaked, finally seeing how threatening Mal was capable of being. So this was the man able to fell primals.

“I swear,” Cid said solemnly. “It’s okay, Mal.”

Shaking, Mal jerked his hand away from his sword. He rubbed his gloved hand over his face. “Mine apologies.” He crossed his arms. “The lands we are to enter in our hunt is no trifling matter. There is a political game of which you are ignorant and in your ignorance, you may end up losing your head. Or worse.”

“Political game?” Alphinaud crossed his arms as well, tilting his head in thought.

“As an Ishgardian bastard born to a noble house, I assure you that it is the deadliest of games. I barely rate as a pawn in all honesty. But the name I carry now...”

“Baihoude?” The usual look of confusion Cid had on his face since Alphinaud came for them at the church grew more confused.

Mal sighed, bowing to them in a mocking manner. “Pray forgive me. My true name is Maldeylot Greystone, a bastard son of House Baihoud of Ishgard.” He straightened up. He almost smiled at Alphinaud’s gaping face. “The now defunct House of Baihoud. A victim of the same political game I wish to tell you about.”

“Defunct? I don’t understand... You’re here, aren’t you?” Cid scratched his head.

“It’s defunct because everyone was murdered in the name of purging heresy from Ishgard by the inquisition. And I fled to the Shroud only thanks to my uncle.” Maldeylot paced by the door. He used his aether to poke at his wards. Good, they were still holding. “The history of Ishgard is fraught with such happenings. To be called a heretic is to be dragged to execution via Witchdrop. The Baihouds is not the first minor noble family murdered on accusations of heresy. And there are many common born families who have suffered the same fate. It’s why I added the ‘e’ to the end of it. In the hopes of throwing them off if they ever found out that I had escaped and decided to hunt me down.”

“By the heavens, truly?”Alphinaud felt a bead of sweat trail down his face. And the room wasn’t even that warm! “And if we call you Baihoude?”

“Consider our lives and chances of finding the Enterprise forfeit. Leaving the primals to overrun this continent. After all, there are so few of us Echo users, is there not? Would it be not the perfect excuse for the Imperials to come back in full force instead of just Gaius and his legion?”

“Eorzea would be razed to the ground.” The younger elezen looked ill.

“Exactly. Even Ishgard who have kept to themselves fighting the dragons for centuries would fall. I’m sure Nidhogg would revel in such a thing. Or mayhap he would be all the more enraged being denied his prey.” Maldeylot cupped his chin. “And everything my uncle had fought for would be worth less than nothing.” A long silence stifled the room.

“So we call you Mal, no last name,” Cid said, breaking through the tension. “Very few people know the last name you go by, correct?”

“Aye... I always insist on being called Mal or Maldeylot. I dislike formalities in regard to myself. I am a bastard child. I was lucky to be called by my name at all.”

“Yes, and we shall search for the Enterprise as quickly as possible to take down Garuda,” Alphinaud announced, hopping to his feet. “We will solicit what aid we can but no more than is necessary.”

“Agreed,” Mal replied, nodding his head. “Let us be quick with our time in Coerthas. The sooner we leave its snows and its fanatical inquisition, the better.” He eyeballed Alphinaud. “But first a coat for you, Alphinaud. Mayhap new clothes all together. The cold brought about by the Calamity sinks in sharp and deep to the bone. I’ll not have you freeze during our search. Come, the evening is still young and the tailor’s shop is still open. You too, Cid.”

Alphinaud was unable to dodge Mal’s hand as he was gripped by the back of his tunic. “H... hey!” He kicked his feet and swung his fists. But the older elezen was too tall and long of limb and he felt like a kitten batting uselessly at the air. “Put me down!”

“You’ve got holes in your leggings! I don’t care if they’re on purpose and fashionable. They are not worth freezing the sides of your thighs! Cid, now!” Mal glared at the laughing Garlean amnesic. He marched out the inn room, dispelling the privacy sigils as he passed them. Alphinaud resigned himself to being carried like a misbehaving pup. He crossed his arms, pouting. Cid followed after them, guffawing.

They made it to the tailor’s shop just in time to have a thick, long fur coat adjusted for Alphinaud’s stature whilst Cid was bought a heavy leather jacket lined with fleece. Even Mal got a new coat and boots.

In the morning, they crossed the snowy border of Coerthas and headlong into a series of events in which Mal was sweating in fear the entire time. By Halone, he hoped Lord Haurchefant or the real inquisitors hadn’t recognized him...

* * *

**END**

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Bye~!


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